Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Episode 9- Monarch's Terrible Storm
by Steel Kiba
Summary: With Rita still away seeking the wisdom of her High Counselor, the bumbling Squatt and Baboo create a devious insect with toxic intentions. With the Green Ranger now on their side, it's up to the Power Rangers to stop this surprisingly devastating monster and the snowstorm it casts down from on-high. New episode preview up!
1. Perspective

Eons ago, the evil sorceress Rita Repulsa ruled everything with a poison grip, enslaving humanity and destroying countless wondrous creatures, all in the name of a lust for control and a hidden power. The good wizard Zordon was able to seal her away for ten thousand years at the cost of his freedom, but she has returned to wreak havoc on Earth again. Now, Zordon has chosen a team of noble, world-travelled teenagers to harness the power of the dinosaurs to stop her and bring peace to the world. They are the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers!

 **VOICE CAST**

Brennan Mejia as Ash Ketchum/Red Ranger

Rachel Lillis as Misty Williams/Yellow Ranger

Lucien Dodge as Tracey "Sketchit" Matthews/Blue Ranger

Erin Cahill as Lia Feran/Pink Ranger

Johnny Yong Bosch as Brock Harrison/Black Ranger

Josh Grelle as Hayashi Feran/Green Ranger

David Fielding as Zordon

Richard Horovitz as Alpha 5

Barbara Goodson as Rita Repulsa

Kerrigan Mahan as Goldar

Wendee Lee as Scorpina

"See? You're looking good!"

"Yeah, and here it comes…"

It was a faintly sunny Tuesday afternoon in Feron Grove, the bright star all but invisible thanks to the many clouds. The day had started with a clear blue sky, but had become increasingly gray as the morning gave way to the midday. Not that it mattered to Ash and Lia, who were walking to the Union from Feron Grove High, who had their eyes glued to a video on Lia's phone.

"Still can't believe it…" Ash groaned, pulling his red ball cap over his eyes as he watched the screen. Lia just burst out laughing.

"Right into the pumpkin…" Lia choked out, trying to steady her breathing, but she couldn't help but laugh as the video went on. It was footage of Ash and Misty swing dancing from the previous week's Full Moon Monster Mash. Ash, who had on wings, claws, and fangs like his Charizard, had twisted Misty around and lifted her up in the candlestick position. However, a couple of seconds into the move, the young man was trembling and couldn't hold the young lady, who was dressed up like Thor. Eventually, Ash inadvertently let Misty slip from his grip and land rear-first into a nearby jack-o'-lantern, which thankfully wasn't lit.

"And here comes the best part," the younger Feran sibling said, pointing at the screen as they crossed the street. Of course, everyone else at the party was laughing, Ash looked embarrassed, and Misty reached into her old bag of tricks, walloping him in the back of the head with Mjolnir, Thor's mighty hammer.

"Man, it's been forever since she's whacked me with one of her mallets," Ash said, putting his hands in his jeans pockets. "She hasn't been that angry in a while."

"That's Mjolnir. You're lucky she didn't decapitate you," Lia teased, straightening her purple Feron Grove Karate Club t-shirt. The two were just a couple of blocks away from the Feron Grove Union, where karate practice would be starting soon. "Oh, she's fine, and can she blame you? It's not like anything that could have tired you out happened that day." She pointed to the screen, which showed her brother Hayashi coming in to dance with Misty.

Ash shook his head and repressed a chuckle. He then scrubbed the video's bar back to rewind to a previous part. "See?" he spoke, pointing to a scene where he was dancing with Lia, spinning her about and even lifting her up. "No problem here. I look perfectly fine here. Not trembling or tired or anything."

"Yeah," Lia interjected, commenting next on her costume. "It's not exactly every day that you dance with a football-playing king in space…with a mustache. Or maybe you were just nervous about dancing with a Norse deity." She playfully batted her eyelashes at Ash.

Ash closed his eyes and shook his head again as they approached the front doors of the Union. "Where is Misty anyway? I was gonna see if she wanted to join me and my dad later for our run."

"Out with Hayashi doing the same," Lia replied, going through the doors with him. "They were gonna grab something to eat from here after."

Ash nodded and rubbed the back of his neck, causing his friend to remark, "You can't wait forever. She clearly isn't."

"It's been difficult, Lia," Ash responded as they went near the dining area. "Especially since last summer when…"

"And the summer before that, and the one before that, and the one before that," Tracey, who was sitting with Brock at one of the tables, said.

"Man, can it," Ash said, pushing Tracey's shoulder. "What's up?"

"We were studying," Tracey explained, putting a pen back in the pocket of his overalls. "But this movie came on and Brock's just glued to it."

"Omph mmph ormph…" The three turned to Brock, who had a school book in his lap and was chewing on some popcorn, his eyes fixed on one of the big-screen TVs in the corner, which showed a gigantic dinosaur fighting what looked like a huge moth. Brock swallowed and said, "This is a good one."

"He's stopping for Godzilla vs. Mothra?" Lia asked, taking a piece of popcorn from the bowl and eating it. "Everyone's seen these old movies."

"Hey hey!" Brock interrupted, holding up a finger. "This is _Triassic Terror Meets Atomic Moth._ Way, way different. More explosions, faster combat, good stuff."

"It's two guys in rubber suits," Ash said, squinting his eyes. "And don't we already do this in real life? You think he'd want a break."

Brock, who had turned back to the screen and said quietly, "They're actually using robotic puppetry in this one. And I can't eat popcorn in a Dinozord, so no, I haven't done _this_ in real life."

Ash and Lia shrugged and turned to go to the workout floor, waving at Tracey, who was pulling Brock back to reality. "If only Rita's monsters were like that. We'd just be bowling them over," Ash said.

Lia chuckled and ran a hand through her black and blonde locks. "She's crazy, but she isn't stupid."


	2. Unsupervised

Atop the Earth's moon stood Rita Repulsa's Moon Palace, and strangely enough, the evil empress wasn't marching through the freezing corridors or peering through her Repulsascope, spying on her mortal enemies—the Power Rangers. But somebody else was.

"Haha! This is great!" Squatt cried, expelling flecks of saliva from his warthog-like jowls. He had one of his bulbous eyes pressed up against the telescope, clapping his hands with glee.

"What are you doing, you simpleton?" Baboo, his cohort and Rita's master scientist, questioned, nudging the pudgy beast away from the Repulsascope. "If Mistress Rita catches you putting your disgusting eye on her equipment, she'll zap you to the farthest reaches of the M51 Galaxy!"

"Aw, shut up, Baboo!" Squatt protested. He tried to strike the man-bat, but Baboo pushed him away with two of his four spindly hands. "She isn't here. Nobody's here except us! Even Finster's gone!"

"Exactly!" Baboo cut in again as he took a cloth and tried to wipe away the slime from the Repulsascope's eyepiece. "They're all meeting with the High Counselor to find out what to do after losing the Green Ranger to that old crackpot Zordon. And I was getting things ready for our next attack myself, but I can't work with your incessant squealing!"

Squatt reached into his leather belt-pouch and took out a thick, jagged moon rock. He opened his mouth wide and crunched down on it with his stubby fangs. "Hey, I was working too!" he shot back, chunks of stone and spit dotting the floor. "I was keeping an eye on those Power Kids, and this really awesome movie came on…"

Baboo stepped back and, adjusting his monocle, took a look through the super-powerful Repulsascope to see Brock and Tracey joined by Misty and Hayashi, and they were pointing at the monster movie that was playing. A mad scientist was jumping up and down with glee as he saw Triassic Terror and Atomic Moth destroying the city during their battle

"This is a time to impress our empress, and you're at the movies?" Baboo posed, charging up to his companion and curling his blue fists.

"Yeah, and it actually got me thinkin'!" Squatt snapped. "What if we create a monster of our own to destroy the Power Rangers and their city? With everyone away, nobody can stop us!"

"You…have a point there, my friend," Baboo conceded. One of his powder blue arms reached upward, the thin fingers stroking his chin. "Perhaps it is time to step into the foreground." He looked to the left and the right corridors leading out of the main chamber, and then beckoned Squatt to hurry with him down the left one.

"I must admit, you did have a certain penchant for creating creatures before. Shihan Hideous was truly terrifying," Baboo said. "What do you have in mind?"

"Funny you should ask!" Squatt nearly screamed, causing Baboo to hush him. He quieted down, and the two made their way down to the iron door of Finster's monster workshop. "Funny you should ask," Squatt continued, opening the door and going in with his friend. "I noticed how Rita's magic rainstorm easily controlled the Dragonzord. We could make a monster that has that same power!"

"A brilliant idea," Baboo admitted, tiptoeing over to the monster maker's workbench and gathering a fresh lump of space clay. "Perhaps you aren't so stupid…"

"I was thinking we could create this turtle with a stoplight in its back!" Squatt suggested, his words going a mile a minute. "His red light could stop things and the green light could make 'em go fast. We could call him Shellshock! Ow!"

One of Baboo's appendages struck Squatt hard in the back of his head. Baboo closed his eyes and said, "I spoke too soon." He reopened his eyes, remembering what he had seen through the Repulsascope. He began to run his fingers through the sticky clay, widening it out into two wide fans going right and left.

"Then again, your dawdling just gave me an idea. I may have to take back what I just said."


	3. Signs

Heaviness, fogginess, pain. All of these sensations ran through Hayashi's body as he slowly rose out of bed. He yawned long and loud, straining to open his eyes in the early morning darkness. He took a look outside his bedroom window and ran a finger over the glass. It was frigid to the touch, much colder than the day before.

Hayashi rose and dropped one shoulder and picked up his smartphone, heading straight for the news page. The first article to pop up provided an update on last week's happenings:

 **Rise and Fall of Green Ranger's Victims**

 _With the Green Power Ranger's apparent turn to the side of justice comes some welcome news. Kau Cove Memorial Hospital is reporting the improved status of many patients in the wake of the rouge figure's rampage, and more and more victims are being discharged every day._

 _"I'm so glad most everyone is getting so much better," Sammy Vidal, a rancher from nearby Riko township, said. "My own injuries were nothing, but there are some people who got it bad."_

 _Kara Wilhelm, ocean conservationist and Kau Cove native, suffered a torn ACL after an attack from the Green Ranger's Dragonzord. Though severely injured, she cast no blame on the mysterious man behind the machine._

 _"I believe the Power Rangers when they said Green [Ranger] was under Rita's control," Wilhelm said. "That crazy witch they've been fighting has done some pretty nasty things, and trying to destroy the Rangers from within sounds just like her. I'm glad he's fighting for us now."_

 _However, not all of the news and the responses are positive. Several Amalei Region citizens still remain in serious care, with some injuries unfortunately permanent. Some vividly recall the torture and aftermath._

 _"A boy next to me had to have his eye removed after what Rita's goons did to him, smashing his face in like that," Ahmed Allen of Feron Grove said. "And one of my friends suffered third-degree burns. If that Green Ranger could break through that supposed spell on his own, why couldn't he do it sooner? He's just as much a monster as the others. Why the Power Rangers trust him, I have no idea."_

 _Some people have vehemently called for the apprehension of the Green Ranger, but police officials have urged calm and are confident in this newest fighter's allegiance._

 _"Make no mistake, we are fully aware of your concerns and have public safety as our top priority in the midst of this chaos," Feron Grove Police Chief Sherry Kanzaki said. "But the Power Rangers have provided us with a full disclosure of the facts, and the Green Ranger was definitely not in control of his destructive actions. We will monitor the situation closely as time goes on, but rest assured, we don't just have masked vigilantes running amok. The Power Rangers are fully deputized and supervised first responders for extreme emergencies, and all six of them have our full support."_

By the time he got through reading the piece, Hayashi had quietly walked down the hall, ran a comb through his blonde locks, and splashed some water on his face. He took a good, long look in the mirror, his weary look drooping even more.

 _"Could I have controlled everything?"_ he asked himself.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed, revealing a text from Misty:

 _You still up for our run this morning?_

Hayashi smiled and replied, _"You bet. Be at the corner of Maple and 5_ _th_ _in a few."_ It would sure take a load off his mind, if only for a short while.

"Man, what happened to the weather?" Ash asked, rubbing his shoulders. Despite the heavy jacket that covered his frame and the sweat that ran down his forehead, the steady wind chilled him to the bone.

Red, his father, shrugged and looked up to the slowly graying sky. "I don't know," he said. "It only starts getting this cold in the beginning of December. There was nothing about this on the news.

The two had slowed their jog down to a walk as they approached the intersection of 5th Avenue and Maple Lane. Dead leaves skittered across the nearby lawns and past the Ketchums in a miniature cyclone.

"Almost like my Pidgeot's Whirlwind," Red remarked, scratching the stubble on his tanned face.

"Mine too," Ash replied, looking down the street. "It could knock anyone off its feet."

"You'd know a lot about getting knocked off your feet."

Ash turned to the left and stepped back a little. Misty had just come up the way, a mischievous grin hidden under the hood of her off-white coat.

"So would you," Ash teased, rolling his eyes. "I said I'd make up for it!"

"Always fixated on the past, huh?" the young lady shot back, nodding her head to the side, making Red laugh at the exchange.

"So what are you doing out here, Misty?" the elder Ketchum asked.

"Hayashi and I were going to take a run before school starts," Misty replied, shoving her hands in her pockets. "Didn't expect it to be this cold, though."

"Weird, right?" Hayashi said. His sudden intrusion made Ash jump back yet again. Misty nodded and smiled at him, and the older Feran sibling did the same. "Ready to go?"

"Yep."

Ash closed his eyes and suppressed a sigh. "That's cool. Well, we gotta finish up ourselves…"

"No you don't," Red interrupted. "Go on with your friends. It's gotta be better than hanging out with me."

"But Dad…"

"Stop being so hardheaded, kid," his father said, pushing him toward Misty and Hayashi. "It's not good all the time." And with that, Red turned around and took off in the opposite direction.

"Even _he's_ telling you?" Misty jested, narrowing her aquamarine eyes. "I thought he's who you got it from."

"Partly from you, Mist," Ash retorted. The two groaned at one another and Hayashi started laughing.

"Okay, okay," Hayashi said, putting his arms around the other two's shoulders. "Three's a crowd, so I guess we better make it a party. I'll tell Lia to get the others and meet us near the diner in a little bit."

"Sounds good, but I'll be there first!" Misty shouted, taking off down the way.

"Like that's gonna help," Ash muttered under his breath, beginning to jog in-step with Hayashi.

"What will? Maybe delete what's-her-name's number from your phone, I dunno…" Hayashi said quietly. He eyed Ash with a raised brow.

"What was that?" Ash inquired.

"I'm right behind you!" Hayashi called out, picking up speed to catch up with Misty. Ash shook his head for a few seconds, and eventually did the same. The three were so caught up in their race that they didn't notice the first few frozen droplets descending from the sky above. Nor did they see the flash of huge, translucent orange and black folds flapping behind the mass of heavy clouds.


	4. A Hasty Battle

Back at Rita Repulsa's Moon Palace, Squatt and Baboo kept a close eye on their handiwork. The two stood on the balcony of the palace's main chamber, watching through the Repulsascope.

"The snow is starting to fall steadily. Excellent!" Baboo cried out, waving his four hands in excitement.

"Hehehe!" Squatt laughed, moving his cohort over to take a look through the Repulsascope. "Those kids should be falling into our trap any…"

But before Squatt could finish his sentence, a cold, sharp, metallic object pushed into his wide throat, backing him away from the enchanted telescope. Out of the corner of his left eye, the creature saw Goldar backing him to the floor of the main chamber with his jagged sword.

"minute…"

"Goldar, what are you doing here?" Baboo questioned, starting to stammer. "You…you were supposed to be with…"

"Like I'd trust you in this place all alone," the warrior growled. He elbowed Baboo out of the way and peered into Rita's Repulsascope. "What have you two idiots done now?"

The golden brute narrowed his red eyes as the telescope focused in on Feron Grove. Indeed, a steady snowfall was coming down from the sky courtesy of a gigantic black and orange butterfly.

"He's really somethin', ain't he?" Squatt remarked.

"You broke into Finster's workshop to create some cute little bug?!" Goldar roared, whipping around and pointing his sword at the blue duo. "You…"

"Not at all, Goldar!" Baboo piped up, pointing a thin finger in the air. "Monarch will be instrumental in causing chaos down on Earth."

"Yeah!" Squatt added. "We fixed him up with some of that magic powder Empress Rita used to make that rain to control the Dragonzord. He's gonna freeze that city and make everyone's stuff go haywire!"

Goldar put a palm to his gorilla-like face and shook his head. "Of course you stole her from her magic stores, too. You two are done when Rita returns."

Baboo raised his eyebrows and poked his fangs above his red lips. "But you know our monster will be brilliant.

"It will keep the Power Rangers on their toes…" Goldar grumbled. "But we must be strike carefully. We…"

"Alright!" Squatt screamed. "Time for Phase Two! Putty Patrollers, go on and get 'em!"

"Huh?" Goldar uttered, but he was too late as ten Putties ambled into the throne room and disappeared in a flash of gray light.

"Squatt! You moron!"

"Mmm… Nope, could still go for more."

"No you cannot. We're going to be late!"

Despite Brock's protests, Lia took him by the ear and drug him out of the diner, the others laughing as they went along.

"See ya, Mabel," Hayashi said to the young blonde lady behind the counter.

"Have a good day, you guys," Mabel replied. She stood on a ladder taking a look inside a high radiator vent; the thing had been acting funny for the last thirty minutes and then completely shut down.

"Nothing wrong with our circuits," one of the cooks said, turning away from the circuit breakers. "I dunno what's going on."

Mabel grunted and slammed her fist hard against the radiator vent. "Come on, you piece of junk!" she yelled, making everyone in the restaurant jump a bit in their seats. "MOVE IT!"

"Boy, is this the worst time for the heat to die down…" Misty remarked. The six friends huddled behind hooded jackets and hats as they speed-walked through the freezing cold to Feron Grove High. She touched shoulders with Hayashi, making him smile and Ash scowl a little. "I've barely seen it snow this early around any of the islands I've been on."

"At least it isn't because the legendary birds are preparing for war," Tracey said. Ash and Misty nodded when he said that, remembering the chaos in the Orange Islands years back.

Brock reached his hand out and caught a few of the falling snowdrops in his orange-gloved hand; a couple of them landed on his wristwatch. "Freaky weather happens," he said, stopping to chew on a piece of bacon he took with him. Lia and Tracey raised their eyebrows at him.

"What?" he asked. "Big man's gotta eat."

"That's what happens when you spend too much time trying to flirt with Mabel," Lia said with a smirk.

"Hey, I only asked for her number once," Brock contested. "I have to find out how she makes those acai berry pancakes."

"And then you were trying to tell us how awesome the next _Triassic Terror_ movie is going to be," Tracey added as he tightened his grip around a gelled heat pack. "We get how cool it'll be to see him dive through the center of the Earth. We get it already."

"You'd love the technicals of these movies, Tracey," Brock suggested, putting an arm around him as they walked. The group began to cross over from a sidewalk path into a shortcut some of them took to get to school through a neighboring athletic club. "It's…that's weird. My watch is bugging out!"

Ash looked over at his friend's wrist, and the digital interface was indeed glitching out, making odd beeping noises.

"Did you get it wet or something?" he asked.

"It's waterproof, man," Brock answered, wiping a few snowflakes off of his watch.

The six friends stopped on the blacktop of the parking lot nearest the tennis courts, hearing a loud crash. They turned to look at a small silver car that was suddenly belching black smoke; the vehicle was slowly becoming covered with snow. A middle aged man wearing a black parka ambled out of his vehicle, bashing his hand on the hood.

"Hey!" Hayashi called out, stepping in front of the group. "You need any help?"

"Thing's been giving me trouble all day!" the man grunted, going to lift the hood. "It's only been a little shaky before, but this snowstorm has made it worse!"

The teenagers began to look at each other with inquisitive looks, then Ash stepped forward and said, "You know, this kind of thing has been going on all morning…"

"This is just odd," the man continued, turning around to face the group, but before he could say another word, a hoarse scream escaped his throat, and he ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction. The six whipped around to see what was the matter—ten of Rita's Putties were creeping in from the empty tennis courts.

"Maybe some old friends have the answer," Hayashi said, cracking his knuckles.

"Definitely. Spread out!" Ash yelled.

The six humans fanned out, doing their best to draw the foot soldiers apart. Two Putty Patrollers struck first, each swinging a heavy foot at Brock, but he caught both of them under his big arms and rammed the goons into the gravel. Another Putty leapt onto his back, wrapping its rocky arm around his neck and tightening up. Struggling for a bit, Brock then stopped trying to pry the stranglehold loose and instead took to the air, jumping and turning with all of his momentum and slamming his foe's back into a lamppost. As the Putty fell off his back in a stupor, Lia came in and launched a spin side kick right to its sternum, knocking it into another one of its brethren. She then formed a back-to-back triangle with Brock and Tracey, looking to stave off more invaders.

Meanwhile, Hayashi, Misty and Ash had taken to one of the tennis courts to draw some of the Putties away. Hayashi was engaging one of them, battering it into the ground with furious punches and a jumping spin crescent kick to the temple. He then reached over to another Putty and flung it to the ground near Ash, who smashed its chest with a well-placed fist. Two more claybrains jumped in the fray, taking him down. Ash growled in pain as one of them mounted him and mashed his shoulder with its elbow, but before the Putty could do any more damage, he bucked his hips and broke the hold. He buffeted the enemy back with two roundhouse kicks and a right cross punch, but then two more of them ran in to fight. Ash and Hayashi doubled back, but not before catching several feet and fists to their blocking arms.

"Alright, my turn to serve!" Misty shouted at the Putties, beckoning them to come get her. One of them obliged, charging at her and babbling in its strange language. The girl from Cerulean City pushed into the low, elastic tennis net and shot forward, proving too fast for the challenger and catching its rough-hewn face with a spinning forearm. The last Putty on the court turned to see its companion join another fallen alien, and Ash and Hayashi took the chance to nudge it in Misty's direction and right into a high front kick to the jaw.

Back in the parking lot, the other three teens were having quite the challenge as five remaining Putty Patrollers surrounded them, wearing down their blocks and defenses. Tracey had just caught the most recent blow and retaliated with a couple of ridgehand strikes that Lia had taught him, but the numbers game had caught up to them.

"I guess they really want to play around," Tracey said, catching a glimpse of his other friends finishing off Putties on the other side. "I say let's play. Start spinning!"

He, Lia, and Brock locked arms and began to spin in place, causing their attackers to stand back and watch in amazement. Their targets did nothing but spin in the center of the lot; it made no sense. The group began to slow down, wobbling around on shaky legs.

"What good did that do?" Lia asked, her tone a little feigned. "They can jump in and get us!"

"I don't know," Brock said. The Putties inched closer and closer to their prey, ready to pounce. "But I'm so dizzy I could…DROP!"

Just as the five Putties leapt into the air, the three humans dropped to the ground, and instead of striking Power Rangers, Rita's foot soldiers crashed into each other, some immediately dropping to the blacktop, others staggering before they fell face-first; one stutter-stepped around and eventually crashed its head onto the tip of the hood of the older man's car before dissolving in a gray hue.

"Nice job, guys," Misty congratulated as her group joined them. "But what was up with the spinning?"

"Why not?" Tracey asked, shrugging his denim jacket-covered shoulders. "What was wrong with those Putties? They clearly weren't the A-Squad."

"Beats me, but look," Ash cut in, pointing upward. Snow was now beginning to fall even heavier. "It's getting worse up there, and something tells me this snow isn't normal."

Lia nodded, and then gasped as she saw a gargantuan object flash above the clouds. "You saw that too, right?" she posed as she looked back at her team, which nodded in agreement.

"Don't tell me…" Brock muttered. The shape looked familiar, but it couldn't be what he thought it was. "No… We'd better contact Zordon right now."

"I'm on it!" Hayashi said, pressing a button on his new Wrist Communicator, which was hidden under his jacket sleeve. "Zordon, come in. We just got attacked by Putties and it looks like something weird is in the sky."

"We know, Hayashi," Zordon's voice called out. "It is good that you all dispatched Rita's Putties so quickly, but you must report to the Command Center immediately."

The transmission ended, and the group looked around to check the scene—nobody was in the area. The six moved closer together and, activating their Communicators, transformed into six beams of light that rocketed into the air and toward their base.


	5. Command Center

**Hey everyone. Thanks so much for being patient while this small chapter was being written. I will do my best to get more chapters out within the week, but due to shifting professional commitments and schedules, please understand if things move slowly in the next few weeks.**

In less than a minute, the six teenagers streaked through the sky and touched down in their Command Center, where Zordon and Alpha 5 were waiting for them.

"What's going on, Zordon?" Ash asked as the group walked up to the center of the chamber.

"Power Rangers, you have no doubt noticed the extreme change in the weather since yesterday," the good wizard began.

"Yeah, that and some weird shape in the sky," Lia answered. "What gives?"

"That thing…" Brock muttered, narrowing his eyes in thought. "It looked just like a giant moth or butterfly. Guess we weren't the only ones at the movies…"

"You are correct, Brock," Zordon cut in. "Observe the Viewing Globe."

The six friends turned around to face the looking sphere that sat atop its illuminated pedestal. A video feed of a huge orange and black winged insect soaring through the air and dispersing powder from its wings instantly appeared.

"A new monster named Monarch is the source of this climate shift," Zordon continued. "It is a nearly translucent being with the power to instantly freeze any mechanical device." As he spoke, more images flashed on the Viewing Globe showing vehicles slowing to standstills and buildings' electricity fading."

Misty gritted her teeth and tightened a fist. "It's only a matter of time before that thing really messes up something big. Rita's sure gotten creative."

"I'm afraid Rita didn't create this monster, Misty," Alpha 5 said, changing the frequency of the Viewing Globe. An image now played showing Squatt and Baboo standing atop a building watching out-of-control cars careening into each other.

"There's no telling what these things will do except crash!" Squatt squealed.

"You bet!" Baboo added. "We've done it now!"

"This explains the second-string Putties," Misty remarked.

Alpha punched in a few more buttons and brought up a scan of the monster's concoction on one of the terminal screens. "According to our analysis," the robot reported, walking over to the group. "the snow emitting from Monarch's pores is actually a powdery form of the potion Rita used to control the Dragon Dinozord."

Tracey drew in a deep breath and nodded his head; his friends' faces contorted in concern. "Been down this road before..." he said, sighing.

Hayashi closed his eyes and brought a hand up to his face. "Those two? Is Rita desperate?" He then shook his head as Brock said "I doubt it."

"In any case, we gotta destroy Monarch before he covers the whole city," Ash stated, turning to the team.

"You must be cautious, Rangers," Zordon urged. "Like the poison Rita previously used, the creature's mixture can gain unbridled control over your weapons and Zords."

"You can count on it," Ash acknowledged, signaling to his friends.

"It's Morphin Time!" the teens collectively roared. For the first time as a six-person unit, they reached into their pockets and drew their Power Morphers, raising them high in the air and calling on the power of their dinosaur spirits.

"Dragon!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Saber-Toothed Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"


	6. And Action!

The six Power Rangers, now clad in their sleek, protective helmets and suits, dove onto the downtown Feron Grove scene from on high. The team stood right in the middle of one of the city's snow-covered four-way intersections just in time as two vehicles—a car and a pickup truck—coming in from the north and south were skidding out of control. The Black and Pink Rangers immediately stood in front of the oncoming vehicles while the other four Rangers moved two by two to the other sections of the road. As the automobiles sped closer, Brock and Lia widened their stances and put their arms out in front of themselves, pushing back the immense force of the heavy machines. Gravel from the road broke apart and flew in all directions as the two Rangers were gradually pushed back until their heels met.

The car and the truck whirred in protest. Steam rose from both vehicles' hoods, and they eventually gave up. Both drivers piled out and came up to the Rangers who had halted likely death.

"I turned the truck off, I swear!" the truck driver breathed, clutching the Pink Ranger's shoulder as he caught his breath. "It just kept going!"

"Mine too," the car's driver said, ducking her head away from the steam and coughing. Black Ranger went over to steady her. "This thing's been acting crazy all day!"

"This snow's been tainted by Rita's monsters," Lia told the people, whipping her head around to check on her other teammates. "It's either going to shut down or short-circuit anything mechanical."

The car driver shrugged and choked out, "I guess that means nowhere is safe."

Brock ushered the lady and the man away from the road and onto the city sidewalk. "I'd suggest finding somewhere that's low impact," he urged. "I'd say outdoors, but that's probably more dangerous right now. Get to the police station or the hospital, now!"

As the two people retreated, several nearby street lamps began to flicker on and off; soon, their bulbs burst, and nearby citizens barely got out of the way of the falling glass shards.

"Heeheeheehee!" a saliva-filled voice cried out. "This is so much fun!"

All six Rangers, who had regrouped together, looked toward the sky to see Squatt and Baboo standing perched atop the roof of a nearby business. Both evil aliens laughed and clapped as more crashes rang out in the distance, followed by the wails of sirens.

"Hey, Power Rangers! How's the weather down there?" Baboo jabbed, licking his deep red lips.

"Funny you should ask!" Yellow Ranger shouted back, baring her teeth much like the Saber-Toothed Tiger's fangs on her helmet. "It's about time for a rainstorm!"

"Right, Misty!" Red Ranger acknowledged, bringing his hand to the holster on his left hip. "Blade Blasters up!"

The five Power Rangers with red laser pistols drew their sidearms while Green Ranger drew his Dragon Dagger, placing his finger on a grooved button near the middle of the blade. At that moment, the rush of wind blew through the scene, followed by a flurry of white powder. As the Rangers went to blast Rita's goons, their Blade Blasters flashed bright white and began to act strangely. Ash and Brock's weapons simply wouldn't fire, Lia's began to spark and caused her to drop it to the ground, and Misty and Tracey's Blade Blasters started pumping out yellow and blue bolts at random, striking signs, cars, and anything else. The only weapon that did what it was urged to do was Hayashi's, his Dragon Dagger casting a large beam of green energy at Squatt and Baboo, who were thrown to the rooftop surface in a painful heap.

"Yikes! I didn't know that dagger would still work!" Squatt screamed, peeling a bit of charred skin from his cheek.

"Let's get out of here!" Baboo cried. "Monarch can do fine on its own!" The two beings then disappeared in bright blue blobs of light. As the duo retreated, Monarch continued to slowly soar over Feron Grove, keeping the snow going.

"Stop stop stop stop stop stop stop stop!" Misty growled, pointing her Blade Blaster's barrel at the ground. The weapon still kept discharging lasers, scorching the ground.

"They have to stop soon!" Blue Ranger yelled, copying his friend's strategy while scanning the sidearm, but to no avail; his HUD's scan of the laser gun registered a large "DISABLED" signal. "We could try to send them back to the Morphing Grid, but who knows what will happen with Monarch still in control!"

Brock had craned his head in thought for a few moments, then snapped back to attention as Tracey spoke. "Hold on!" he exclaimed. He brought his palms together and formed his black Dino Crystal, holding it aloft for a second before it dissolved around him with glittering energy.

"Let me see the blaster," he said. Tracey obliged, and as the weapon entered the Black Ranger's hands, the red pistol suddenly crackled as it was covered with a thick coat of ice. Brock gripped Misty's Blade Blaster, and it too was frozen, the barrage of fire stopping just like with the first one.

"Alright!" Blue Ranger said.

"Nice, Brocko!" Yellow Ranger added, giving Brock a thumbs-up.

"Just like in the movies," Black Ranger remarked, dusting off his hands. "When Triassic Terror was down and out against Atomic Moth, and the military's planes were taken down, they had to use enchanted shards of the Third Dimension Mirror to help him out."

"Say huh?" Ash asked, raising his eyebrows. "Third Dimension Mirror?"

"Yeah!" Brock responded. "It's one of the only things to counteract the moth, which was really bioengineered alien tech…"

"Spoiler: Magic items good," Hayashi cut in, whirling his Dragon Dagger around, the point touching one of his golden armbands. "We have to see what we can do with our Power Weapons and Dino Crystals before we call in the Zords. They're at risk in this snow."

"Exactly," Brock said, nodding. Lia also nodded her head in agreement, uttering "Hmm…there's two ways…"

Suddenly, the blaring sirens in the western distance began to oscillate in tone, then followed up by a terrible screeching noise.

"Aw man," Red Ranger gasped.

"They'll need our help," Blue Ranger commented, his legs tightening for the dash to come.

"Okay," Green Ranger spoke, interrupting Ash before he could finish his next words. "Brock, Lia, let's go after Monarch." He then pointed to the Blue, Yellow, and Red Rangers. "You guys take care of things on the west side!"

"Let's do it!" Black and Pink Rangers called out, following the Green Ranger as he gave chase.

"Hey…that's my job," Ash said, but he was overtaken by yet another voice.

"Come on!" Misty ordered as her and Tracey bolted due west. Ash shook his head for a second and then joined the two on their way to another part of the city.


	7. A Burning Situation

The blizzard continued its descent as Monarch glided east, the Green, Black, and Pink Rangers in hot pursuit. Snow pelted and dotted the three heroes as they hopped from rooftop to rooftop during their chase.

"Almost…perfect!" Lia said, stopping at the edge of the roof of a store. Having pulled an arrow as far back as it could go with her Ptera Bow, she read her target's distance and let the arrow fly straight for Monarch's narrow head. However, the giant butterfly snapped back into an upright position, and the projectile whizzed right past it.

"Aw, come on!" Lia shouted, stomping her foot.

Her older brother stepped forward and brandished his Dragon Dagger, its open end up to the lips of his helmet's silver mouthpiece and his finger placed on the buttons. "Let's wrap this thing up then," he remarked. Hayashi then played a six-note tune on the flute, causing his weapon to glow with a silver sheen. He then whipped the Dragon Dagger forward, and it emitted a huge blast of electricity from its tip. The bolts jettisoned toward Squatt and Baboo's creation, wrapping around the open space around it and converging at one point with the intent of ensnaring the beast. However, just as the electricity was about to hit its mark—the center of Monarch's huge body—the translucent being temporarily vanished from view, allowing the currents to hit each other and eventually fizzle into static.

"No way!" Hayashi exclaimed, his mouth agape. "This thing has cloaking powers?"

"There's got to be a way to bring him down," Brock surmised. He hadn't summoned his Mammoth Axe since its cannon mode would be a prime target for the tainted snow. "My ice power was able to stop what he did to the Blade Blasters. Maybe I can plug up his pores with it too."

"That's what I was thinking," Lia said, bringing her palms together to create her Dino Crystal. "Crystal power may be most effective, but we're gonna have to get at point blank range."

"Right, sis," Hayashi concurred as his sister and Brock were cloaked in the glint of their crystals' energy. His HUD, though it was a little fuzzy from Monarch's magic, did show a readout of what other poison flowed in the monster's body. "Monarch's got a caustic substance inside of him, so he's probably saving that for when we get too close."

"And we're just game enough…" Pink Ranger began, but her Communicator's alert tone halted her speech. "This is the Pink Ranger. Come in."

"There's another emergency, Rangers!" Alpha 5 reported. "We've detected that a homeless shelter has just caught fire five miles from your location!"

"Are people getting out? Where's the fire department?" Black Ranger asked, turning from Lia's Communicator and setting his sights on the departing alien, which was now picking up speed during its flight. "Plus, Monarch's moving further and further away."

"Some of the fire department vehicles have been disabled," the robot explained. "And the others are still tied up where Tracey, Misty, and Ash are helping out!"

At that moment, Zordon came into the transmission. "Yes, and our visual scan reveals that nobody has been able to escape just yet. One of you must go there immediately."

"I'll go, Zordon," Green Ranger announced, stepping back and turning to face where his destination would be. "Don't worry. I'll be back soon."

"Be careful, Hayashi," Pink Ranger said. And with that, her brother materialized into a column of green light and departed. "But speaking of fire, I think it's about time for an eruption!"

"I'm with you on that," Black Ranger replied, smiling.

With the power of the Dino Crystals flowing through them, the two Power Rangers reared back and took off. As Lia leapt and began to soar up high, Brock swept his leg forward, flinging a thick path of ice into the air, extending it as he slid onto its surface and toward Monarch in the distance.

As soon as Hayashi touched down in front of his destination—Feron Grove's one-story homeless shelter—he dashed to the metal double doors and tried to wrench them open.

"Come on… Open!" the Green Ranger ordered. He doubled back, breathing deep to keep calm as he saw the flames bursting out of one of the far side windows and licking the top of the faded brick building, and then burst through one of the doors with his right boot; he could actually feel flecks of flying rust hit his leg as he crashed through the entrance. Smoke billowed out of the opening followed by a large crowd of people, some with heads ducked and others crawling to keep low, emptying out of the death trap.

"Are there any people left inside?" Hayashi asked one of the men.

"Some…" the shaggy-haired man said, drooping over and wheezing. "They're trying to help some stuck up there…"

"Hang tight!" The Green Ranger immediately rushed into the burning building and through a long, dark hallway, activating a body heat scan along the way. Five more people were inside, all apparently alive. Another reading indicated that the source of the blaze was in a room adjacent to where those people were.

"Push, Erik! You can do it!"

Green Ranger rounded the hallway corner to see the rest of the people surrounded by fire at the turning point and at the end of the hall. Four residents—a man, woman, boy, and girl—were keeping low to the ground but were reaching out to one of the shelter's volunteers who was trapped under a low beam. Another one crumbled and fell from the ceiling, making the family jump back.

"Go on! Get out of here!" Erik rasped. His boyish face was coated with sweat and his arms seared with pain as he tried to push up, but he couldn't. All he did was go to check on the furnace in the other room since everyone was saying it was so cold, and now the whole shelter was about to burn up.

"We're not leaving you behind!" the little girl screamed, trying to get Erik despite her parents and brother urging her back. Suddenly, more debris crumbled down from the ceiling, but the Green Ranger moved in between the people, the rubble sliding over the golden Dragon Shield covering his upper body.

"A Power Ranger?!" the little boy spoke. He looked at his sister, both of their distressed expressions fading, and back at Hayashi. The parents raised their eyebrows, the father then furrowing his.

"Just in time, too…" Erik breathed.

"Stand back, everyone!" the Ranger called out. "This is going to get a little crazy." He planted his palms together and brought forward a shimmering green light. He then raised his Dino Crystal, which had a bipedal dragon etched in the side, and absorbed its power. Hayashi thrust his hands in front of him and, instantaneously, an expanding cone of water filled up the hallway, dousing the flames at the end of the hall and everything in its path. Turning his green-and-white-gloved hands around, the wall of liquid arced around and took care of the blaze behind everyone as well, the wind behind the cyclone dispersing the smoke into nothingness.

"And that's what the Ocean Vortex is all about," Hayashi said as he hoisted Erik up from the rubble and clapped his shoulder. He then activated his Communicator and said, "Alpha, I've taken care of the fire and everyone's going to be out and okay."

"Well done. Our sensors indicate medical help is on the way."

"Awesome," Erik said, going over to the family and checking on them. The group then turned to say something to the Green Ranger, but he was already gone.


	8. A Fighting Union

On the western front of the calamity in Feron Grove, Tracey, Misty, and Ash had their hands full. After helping clear the way for more help to arrive due east, the three Rangers found the next challenge at a nearby construction site.

"I can't get a hold on this thing!" one of the workers cried. He was being whipped around as the huge spiral ground drill he held spun out of control. "Bruce, help!"

Bruce, one of the Machoke that worked alongside the humans at the site, stomped over and wrenched the haywire tool away from the worker, but even the superpower Pokémon had a hard time regaining control of the device. Bruce grunted, sweat pouring down the reptilian scales on his head and down his gray-blue face. But even as the creature flexed its muscles and dug its feet into the snowy earth, he found himself yanked bodily by the big drill toward the structure the company was building. Just as the tip of the drill was about to slam into the steel girders, a long blade sliced through the object and sent the two halves to the ground.

"Tools, huh?" the Red Ranger said to Bruce, raising his Tyranno Sword up from the ground. Stunned and relieved, the Machoke growled and nodded in agreement.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" a few voices called out. Ash and Bruce turned to see a couple more construction workers trying to wrangle an ever-pounding jackhammer. The workers were quickly knocked aside into the frost, but the Blue and Yellow Rangers were there to step in and hold it at bay.

"Don't worry," Misty said to the people. "It should give out soon."

"Switch is off…of course it won't stop…"Tracey muttered as the two raised the uncontrollable object from the ground.

The foreman, who was checking with two Machoke to make sure the rest of the crew's snow-capped equipment was shut down, yelled, "Ya gotta be careful with that thing, Rangers! We got gas lines under here, and if that thing bangs its way to China…"

Suddenly, the pounding ceased, and the two Rangers holding the jackhammer sighed as the tool stopped in its tracks.

"Huh, that was eas…" Tracey began. At that moment, the jackhammer sprung to life and plummeted into the ground, throwing up chunks of ground and Monarch's snowfall. It dug further and further into the earth, pulling the Blue Ranger along for the ride. However, Tracey wouldn't give up, and he gradually pushed his feet back and shifted the momentum, tossing the possessed tool into the air.

"I've got this one," Yellow Ranger stated, her Dino Crystal already in her hand and dissolving over her. She then threw her left hand upward and released two thick vines into the air; the vines, now released from Misty's hand, coiled themselves around the jackhammer, tightening and creating a solid green hunk that dropped down into her arms. The instrument's rattling was muffled under the restrictive foliage.

"Nice work," Tracey said.

Misty nodded. "Yeah, that should hold it until Monarch's defeated.

"Is that what the other Power Rangers are up to?" the foreman asked, taking off her hardhat and smoothing down her frizzy brown hair.

"Two of them, at least," Misty reported. "Red, how's it coming?"

Red Ranger was standing alone, his head turned up to the sky. A small square in a corner of his HUD displayed the aerial confrontation between the Black and Pink Rangers and Monarch.

"They're taking the monster on in the sky, Yellow," Ash replied with a gasp. "We need to get there to help them." He then raised his left wrist, his Wrist Communicator concealed by his red-and-white-diamond-pattern glove. "Green Ranger, how are things down there?"

"We've got some emergency vehicles that have finally made it down here on the east side," Green Ranger said over the Communicator. "The Black and Pink Rangers are gonna try to freeze Monarch out, shut his pores. Once he's down, we can probably bring in the Dinozords."

"Awesome," Red Ranger answered. "Just hang tight. We'll be right there."

The foreman moved the vine-laden jackhammer to the crew's trailer. She came back and said, "We should be fine here. Thanks for all your help."

"Right," one of the workers commented, another Machoke making a sound in agreement. "Getting things under control seemed pretty easy."

Things were quiet for a second, and then the three Power Rangers turned to look at the road leading away from the site; about a mile away, there was a turn at the east. All three of them felt a chill run through their veins.

"Yeah," Ash said. "I think things usually get worse here."

"Keep your eyes peeled," Tracey warned.

For a moment, everyone stood still. No noise, no twitching, nothing. Then, the creak of a chain started it all.

Red Ranger turned all the way around and saw a large wrecking ball just barely move back and forth on its chain. He instantly ran up to the vehicle it was attached to, checking over the gears, levers, and dials, but they were already blaring. The destroyer gurgled and roared, then began to chug through the snow and toward the road, the ball beginning to gain momentum.

"Rosie, Jackie, go help him!" the foreman shouted. Two Machoke let out a reptilian cry and marched past Misty and Tracey—who had taken off down the road to head off what was coming—and toward the wrecking ball. They ducked under the oncoming ball and took to the vehicle's sides, grabbing on and doing their best to hold it back. Jackie had to let go and roll to the asphalt as the big ball cattycornered during its recoil and went to strike her. As the ball then went to flatten Rosie, the hulking Pokémon flexed her right arm and dove its fist right into the metal sphere, halting its movement.

"Nice Mega Punch!" one of the workers cried out.

"You can say that again!" Red Ranger congratulated. He jumped down from the vehicle and joined the Machoke, backing up as it moved along the road. He then raised his right hand and, with a flash of red light, summoned his Tyranno Sword again.

"Hey, boss! How much collateral damage is enough?" he asked.

"Cut it down!" the foreman ordered.

With that, Ash swung his blade through the chain that hung the ball up. After a metallic squeal, the wrecking ball came down, but Ash, Rosie, and Jackie were there to catch it. Straining under the weight, the three dropped the destructive sphere and rolled it back to the construction site.

"Nice work, crew," Red Ranger congratulated. "Lunch is on me."

But as Ash finished speaking, Jackie let out a muffled groan, suddenly finding herself flung into the steel girders. Stunned, Ash and Rosie turned around to see Goldar standing behind them with his palm open and claws ready to strike. Rita's warrior lunged toward Rosie, but Ash wedged himself in between them, trying to force the Tyranno Sword through his hand.

"Get back, Rosie!" the Ranger urged. Instead, Rosie snarled and launched a Mega Kick right around Goldar's side and to his spine. Goldar growled and fell to his knees. Yet, his pained cry turned into a sick chuckle.

"My turn," the apish fiend said. He raised a hand to his eyes and, with a blink, cast two flames at Ash's chest, knocking him into the snow. Rosie went in to defend Ash, but Goldar gripped her bicep with his right paw, clenching as hard as he could as he went to punch the Machoke. Rosie blocked, and Goldar yanked down, a loud _"Crack!"_ sounding out, and the creature sank down with a scream.

"This battle has sorely needed me," Goldar said, baring his fangs and preparing to sink his teeth into his victim. With a martial arts yell, the Red Ranger darted and tackled the golden brute, more than ready to oblige.

At the other end of the road, the Blue and Yellow Rangers had detected an oncoming vehicle just 500 yards away. It moved closer, carrying the screams of small children along the way.

"It's going to take a lot to hold it back." Misty said, taking deep breaths, waiting for the target. "But these vines can crush metal and anyone inside if I pull to far back. It'll be a doozy."

"You've got this Misty," Tracey assured, narrowing his eyes as the screams got louder. "We've just got to get a lock…"

As they spoke, something squealed against the road as it made a sharp turn. A yellow school bus had rounded the corner, its left tires tottering over the surface. However, despite the imbalance, and the efforts of the driver, it regained its balance and began to move toward the construction site.

"Don't worry, kids," Yellow Ranger said, thrusting her arm forward as the bus took off. "Here we go!" A mass of vines flew from her hands and wrapped around the bus in an attempt to slow its roll, but even the gargantuan vegetation did little to hold it back as it took everyone, including a skidding Misty, along for the ride. She gasped as she saw the large wrecking ball vehicle coming toward them a distance away. Even with her strength, the bound bus would slam into it, and she wasn't about to cover the whole thing with vines; too many and too much pressure could be disastrous.

"Incoming, Blue Ranger!" she yelled. "Less than a mile!"

"Here I come!" Blue Ranger announced, reaching out and summoning his Tricera Lance from the Morphing Grid. Misty extended the length of the vines with more of the Dino Crystal energy, enough to let Tracey catch up. When he reached the mass of plant matter, he leapt into the air and dove his Tricera Lance through it and deep into the asphalt. The school bus lurched, the wheels whirring and whirring, but the machine finally reached a halt. Everyone inside cheered and applauded as they saw the Yellow Ranger dash past them and to the oncoming construction vehicle, slashing at the tires with her Tiger Daggers. Meanwhile, the bus door squeaked open as the Blue Ranger pried it open.

"I believe this is your stop," he said, smiling behind his triceratops-themed helmet.

Several powerful punches, spinning kicks, and sword swings later, Red Ranger had battled Goldar down to a stalemate. He found himself backed up against the huge wrecking ball, sword at the ready. The construction workers had since moved Rosie, the injured Machoke, indoors—in spite of her brave protests, of course. The other two were nowhere to be seen.

"This is too much for you to handle, Ranger!" Goldar said, sneering.

"What's your track record again?" Ash retorted. "You're running on empty!"

Goldar laughed and pointed his jagged blade at Ash. "If Squatt and Baboo have you six scrambling around, imagine what Rita and I will do! The worst is yet to come, boy!"

"Says you!"

Those words heralded the return of Tracey and Misty, who jumped on the scene and clashed with Goldar and his sword. They dodged some dangerous neck-level slashes and doubled back with the Red Ranger near the wrecking ball.

"This game is over, you brats!" the ape-griffin hissed.

"Oh yeah?" Red Ranger asked. Suddenly, two big shapes rose from the snow beside the Rangers, revealing Bruce and Jackie, who lined up by Misty and Tracey on the left and right, respectively. "Game on?"

"Game on!" the Rangers shouted together, the Machoke duo roaring along. The Machoke moved behind the ball, the Rangers flipping behind it as well, and the group launched simultaneous punches and kicks with all their might, forcing the sphere forward and over Goldar. The warrior demon, face-down in the icy ground, convulsed and somehow pushed himself upward. His armor was crumpled and dark purple blood cascaded from his nostrils and teeth.

"It'll be…much worse…than that…" he coughed out, and he disappeared in a cloud of flames.

The group sighed and sank down, hands over their heads so they could catch their breath for a few seconds. Goldar's promise wouldn't go unheeded, and if this was tough, they couldn't imagine what it was like for Hayashi, Brock, and Lia right then.


	9. That's a Wrap!

**Hi Ranger Fans!**

 **Just a note: there will be a short ending chapter after this one, despite the title. Then, it's on to the rest of the remastered Episode 1! Thanks for all your support and interest!**

"This thing's just full of surprises, huh Lia?"

"'Full' doesn't seem to be the right word right now, Brock!"

The Black and Pink Rangers were only a few yards away from Monarch, who was more than capable of rebuffing the heroes' advances. Lia had come gliding in first, releasing a torrent of flames with her Dino Crystal's Aerial Eruption. The evil insect dodged the fire, but soon found itself face to face with Brock, who swept under the massive bug on his Glacier Flash bridge. The Black Ranger thrust his right leg in the air and sent an Arctic blast at Monarch's round, closed-up, orange pores. Before the frost could close them up, a gaping hole formed in the butterfly's body, letting the Ranger's attack pass through to the sky.

The two Power Rangers darted their eyes to the city below. Lights in buildings either shut off completely or burst due to overload, Monarch's poison seeping through to their inner workings. The whole eastern area seemed ghostlike with people retreating indoors and the gloomy morning sky darkening everything.

"We've got to wrap him up," Pink Ranger said, touching down on Black Ranger's ice bridge, which hung a hundred feet off of the ground. "If we cover him with a blast, he won't be able to widen himself open completely.

"Yeah," Black Ranger replied, keeping his eyes on the monster. The orange-black beast was now soaring toward the Feron Grove Seaport. "His head and antennae are solid, so it'll be a direct hit. Let's surround him so he can't dodge!"

With that, Brock used some more of his crystal energy and kicked off to slide toward Monarch at a steep incline. Lia brought up the rear, gliding high above her teammate and Monarch. Just a short distance away, a large cruise vessel could be seen coming toward the port. Meanwhile, the Rangers were edging into position, coming to an intersection in the air.

Brock stomped down and stopped in his tracks. He stared Monarch right in the many eyes that dotted its slender head.

"Ready," he said, his left foot glowing white.

"Aim," Lia added, crossing her arms to her chest.

"FIRE!"

Brock thrust a high side kick in the air and toward Monarch, and Lia widened her arms out like she was freefalling. Columns of fire arched around Monarch while a blast of ice did the same. But as the elements met, Monarch curled itself and jettisoned backward like a swimmer pushing off the edge of a pool. An explosion of bright energy burst in the air, blowing ice and fire at the retreating enemy, but it kept moving, expelling jets of red powder at Brock and Lia. The substance struck them both, instantly setting off sparks, burning sensations, and the fall.

Both Rangers cried out as the little red dots began to sear their bodies, and the Monarch's attack sent them careening down toward the ground. The cold blasts of late autumn air did nothing to relieve the effects they felt; it just signaled an inevitable crash.

"Oh, no… Guys!"

"Hold on, hold on!"

At that moment, the Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green Rangers were on the scene, a waterside road leading up to the harbor, but were still too late to stop their friends' fall. Lia had tried to brace her fall with her arms after failing to land with her feet, but she was splayed out on the snow-covered pavement below. Brock had managed to land on his feet, but he was instantly doubled over and holding his ankles.

"Easy, easy," Misty told Lia while she and Tracey lifted Lia up. "You'll be okay."

Lia screamed again, curling up into a ball. "It's not that! It's Monarch's red poison!

"It's like it's seeping into my suit!" Brock shouted, gurgling and flailing as Ash and Hayashi tried to help him to his feet. "Don't touch me!"

Ash scanned his oldest friend's body for signs of the red powder, and he said, "When that stuff hits, it dissolves. We'll be fine, but we need to get them some help."

Hayashi nodded, but then his eyes caught sight of Monarch swooping overhead.

"Look out!"

The Power Rangers barely moved out of the way of the monster's low advance. As it rose up again, it released a haze of incendiary powder in its wake. Everything it touched began to spark with miniature explosions or begin to catch fire. Some of it headed the Rangers' way, but Hayashi drew his Dino Crystal again and sent a wave of water toward the powder and the retreating beast. Some of the powder instantly vanished in the blast, but traces still fell on the group and worked its flesh-searing magic.

"We've got to catch up…" Blue Ranger began, tearing at his helmet. "with him!"

"There's a ship coming in at the seaport!" Pink Ranger relayed to the group. "Just a few drops of any kind of that powder's gonna cause major trouble!"

"Then let's tele…urgh!" Red Ranger tried to issue a command, but he was forced to his burning knees. He then called into his Communicator. "Zordon, we're trying to move on, but this fire powder's doing us in!"

"I have seen this, Ash," the wizard responded. "But you were only hit with minute traces of the substance, so the effects will subside in a while. Alpha and I are analyzing the monster…"

"Huh…" Black Ranger uttered, retrieving a close-up scan of Monarch, who was now moving much slower than usual. "I think we have it!" He pointed at the monster's head and antennae, which were tinged with ice and dripping water.

"Looks like its own medicine slows it down, guys," he said. "Ice from my Glacier Flash and water from Hayashi's attack are working!"

"That is correct, Brock," Zordon interjected. "Water-based attacks will dull the effect of Monarch's powder and hamper the beast itself. The key is to attack the head, and then its pores can be shut."

"And then we can finish him off!" Yellow Ranger said, snapping her fingers. The pain of Monarch's attack was beginning to leave her and the others' painfully pulsating limbs

Pink Ranger shook her head. "That's been the game plan, but he's real good at opening up and getting out of the way…"

Black Ranger turned to the Green Ranger. Both young men locked eyes and smiles crossed their faces.

The others felt the mood lift, and Ash said, "We'll do our best to help lock things down here until Monarch's chills out. You two just watch out for another flurry."

"You got it, bro," Brock answered. "It's time for some big-time bug catching."

"Just what I was thinking," Hayashi replied, raising his Dragon Dagger and playing six notes. And then, he and Brock shouted.

"We need Dinozord Power, now!"

Everyone inside the Feron Grove Seaport had turned their attention from their work and travel-related activities, and most were now pressed up against the all-glass walls of the main building.

"We have had some power issues today, but nothing serious," one of the seaport employees said, trying to regain a professional tone. Just a second ago, four points of light descended into the place, and here he was talking to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. He then pointed outside to the barely visible Monarch creature and continued. "You're telling me that thing has been causing chaos all over town? Haven't even seen him on the news."

"We could barely see him ourselves," Tracey told him. "But that makes it worse."

"Right," Lia cut in. "That creep is more than capable of sinking or blowing up that ship!"

The employee nervously tugged at his starchy white shirt collar and went to call the harbormaster on his portable radio. "So nondescript-looking," he remarked. "Least he ain't one of those uglier demons that's been around here…"

Suddenly, everyone at the windows gasped as Monarch flapped its wide wings and blew a mass of white snow in the ferry's direction. As the powder moved forth, the ocean surface below simply exploded as Dragon Dinozord burst to the surface, dispelling the poison.

"Never mind…" the harbor employee whispered. "He's right there…" The Rangers raised their eyebrows and shook their heads, repressing laughter.

Dragonzord screeched, its red eyes flashing with fury, and whipped its drill-like tail around to pierce the eyes of the monster. Monarch fell back and dodged the blow, but the Green Ranger's Zord leapt from the sea and onto a large, empty wrought-iron shipyard platform next to the travel harbor.

"Easy, buddy," Hayashi urged, steadying the controls and locking onto Monarch. "If he likes to play with fire, let's do the same!"

Dragon Dinozord opened and closed its jaws full of razor-sharp teeth, and with a wave of its arms, ten rockets filled its human-like fingers and shot straight for Squatt and Baboo's creation. Monarch forced itself to dive downward, the rockets missing and exploding in midair as they collided. Another torrent of red powder emitted from the creatures many pores, and this time it hit home, peppering the Dinozord with explosions as Hayashi shouted out.

"No!" Ash shouted as he and the others watched from an outside pier. They had gotten through to the harbormaster, who ordered the ferry to move away from the harbor. But he and the other Rangers stood with mouths agape and limbs frozen as Dragonzord, with Hayashi in tow, was rocked by the attack and plummeted off of the platform and back into the sea.

Monarch turned its attention to the ship, which was picking up speed as it turned west. But before it could move, icy pangs began to hinge onto its body, and a large trumpeting sound rang out nearby. Brock and his Mastodon Dinozord were perched on the edge of the water. Another rush of frost shot out of the Mastodon's huge silver trunk, but Monarch repositioned itself vertically and opened a huge hole in its body, allowing the air to pass through.

Black Ranger wasn't deterred by the missed attack. He kept his fingers tightly around the sliding controls and another hand on his Dino Crystal control stick, quietly waiting for the fiend's next move.

 _"The last stand…just like the last movie…"_ he said to himself.

Then it came. Monarch propelled itself forward with a furious lurch, despite the effects from the Dino Crystal powers. Brock shifted his controls backward and forward, and the Mastodon Dinozord bellowed, reared back, and charged its incoming adversary, right through the gaping hole in its frame. The vehicle swerved to the left, showing rounded yellow and red markings on its side. But as Brock went to move again, Monarch's snow had covered much of the Zord, and the Mastodon began to fidget and convulse, roaring hoarsely.

"Guys…now!" Black Ranger cried.

Monarch cared nothing for its prey's last words as it enclosed the hole in its body around one of the Zords tusks and tossed it into the ocean with a last burst of strength.

"Oh boy! Oh boy!"

"We did it!"

Squatt and Baboo cheered as they looked through Rita's Repulsascope and surveyed their monster's success.

"See? Our monster was strong enough, Goldar!" Baboo stated as Squatt did a little jig in the center of the throne room. Goldar sat in a corner of the chamber, keeping his head low and growling in annoyance. He turned his head to a side corridor, his dark blue face still splotched with his own purple blood, and he began to grin. That's when Squatt and Baboo fell silent.

"How strong is that bug?" a little girl inside the seaport building asked, gasping in disbelief. Two Zords were now disabled and sent to a watery demise. And now Monarch was turning its attention to the people inside.

"I…I don't know…" a man beside her said. "How are the other Rangers going to…"

Seconds seemed to stretch on infinitely as the butterfly alien came closer and closer. Everyone pressed up against the glass sucked in horrified breaths as Monarch approached, but horror turned to awe as a silver fin rose from the depths of the sea. Dragonzord has risen yet again, dousing the creature in water.

"Alright, Brock," Green Ranger said, thrusting his controls wide left. "Go long!"

Dragon Dinozord's tail came to the surface, but this time, the tip had something hooked on it: Mastodon's tusks. The rest of Black Ranger's Zord was encased in a rough-hewn iceberg. Dragonzord whipped its tail around, and it released the frozen Mastodon, sending it hurtling toward the stunned Monarch. The prehistoric machine slammed into the evil being and both were sent flying toward the street outside the harbor. When they crashed, the ice broke apart and every bit of the frozen water cut into Monarch and began to close up its toxic pores.

As Mastodon backed off down the road, it let out another trumpeting call, and the Pterodactyl, Triceratops, Saber-Toothed Tiger, and Tyrannosaurus Dinozords rolled up to the battlefield in their tank formation. The Dino Tank rose to a vertical base while Mastodon's head broke from its body and the rest formed into a pair of arms, shoulder shields, and a back support where Tyrannosaurus could house its tail. In a few moments, the Tyrannosaurus' head flipped down into its chest, revealing its three-horned robotic head. The Pterodactyl, now contorted into a chest plate, snapped on, lightning struck near the robot's feet, and the change was complete.

"Megazord Activated!" the robotic voice announced.

"This has been one crazy fight, but it's time to wrap up shooting!" Brock yelled.

The Power Rangers laughed, and Red Ranger said "You got that right. Here's our director's cut! Power Sword!"

The gray sky flashed white, and the huge, glowing, silver blade fell from on-high, landing in Megazord's right hand.

Monarch was able to flap its wings and get back in the air, but its ability to emit poison was gone, and the Megazord was just too fast for its next advance.

"Plasma Slash!" the Power Rangers bellowed.

The sky flashed with many muted colors as the Power Sword shone. Within seconds, the supermech lunged and swung the blade up to the left, cleaving the demonic insect in two and setting off one final burst of flames. Megazord then turned to the sea, where Hayashi could be seen leaping out of Dragonzord's cockpit and heading toward the port. Megazord rose its sword in salute, and the Dragonzord roared a final time before disappearing in the water.


	10. But Wait, There's More!

"Hey, but…but we were doing so well!" Baboo protested as several Putties began to haul him down the dark hallway.

"Yeah!" Squatt chimed in, swatting as three rockier, wider versions of the foot soldiers. "Hey, get your hands off me!"

"Please!" Baboo cried out, his cry growing faint as he and his partner were carried off.

Rita Repulsa didn't watch as her minions left the throne room. She just kept looking at Earth from her balcony, twirling a few silver strands of her twisted hair.

"The only reason I didn't kill them is that their creature showed competence, however marginal it turned out to be, my queen," Goldar said, keeping his eyes low and his knee bent in reverence.

"You've learned patience after these thousands of years. Good," Rita said, keeping her back turned to Goldar and Scorpina, who had entered the room with Rita. "Let's see how you keep yourself in check when Scorpina takes your place during the next attack. You're lucky I don't punish you the way I do those two bumbling idiots."

Scorpina turned her three-point sword around in her hand. She allowed herself a toothy grin, which Goldar growled at, and remarked, "Still, Empress Rita, they do have some use. At least for a laugh."

Rita turned around, her simple brown robe whirling in the emptiness of space. "Don't seek any more mercy for them, child. If they survive, that'll be a more than generous amount." Rita beckoned her court to join her down another hallway and to Finster's workshop. The group walked in to see the goat-like creature maneuvering his sculpting tool softly along what appeared to be another winged being.

In a corner of the workshop, a large, brawny figure stood near a table, shrouded by shadows.

"Things are coming together, Mistress Rita," the High Counselor spoke, blinking a small eye near his shoulder. "A great specimen for resuming control of things on Earth."

Rita nodded and turned to the partially completed monster. "Very nice, Finster," Rita said, putting an arm around her servant's shoulder. "How much longer?"

"All of the preparations will be finished soon, Evil One," Finster quietly answered, smoothing out a section of space clay near the facial region.

Rita smiled and moved a thin, somewhat wrinkled finger to Finster's throat. The witch pressed a sharp purple nail to his white throat and said in a soft voice, "You have until the end of this Earth week. Clear?"

Finster gulped, beads of sweat running down his fur. Rita withdrew her finger and turned to leave.

"Good."

Back on Earth, the afternoon sun had broken through the mass of clouds over the Amalei Region, and the weather warmed up just a bit. But even a little warmth brought much comfort to the Power Rangers and their friends, who were outside in a wide area of the park.

Lia and Hayashi were practicing semi-free fighting, signaling a direction for attack, and then using freestyle combinations.

"Jodan _!_ " Lia announced.

"Osu!" Hayashi responded.

Lia faked an advance twice, and then she slid in two deliver a punch and a spin side kick to her brother's head. He high-blocked two times and punched his sister in the stomach, but as Lia fell, she took her leg and swept Hayashi to the ground.

Hayashi shook his head to get a swath of blonde hair out of his face, and he smiled as he took Lia's hand to get up. "You're getting better at going with falls after attacks, getting back up," he said.

Lia grinned chuckled and punched his shoulder. "We just practiced today. You're getting better, too."

The two went over to Ash, who was finishing up a kata with Terry and Colleen. All three of them broke the calm air with yells as they rotated into sitting stances, their left arms contorting into over-the-shoulder punches.

"You're all together on those moves. Looking good," Hayashi said, high-fiving the three. "Take five."

Lia nodded and tugged Ash along by the yellow belt he was wearing; Colleen was also a yellow belt while Terry wore green.

"About time we're all together," Ash remarked, tightening his belt. "I can't believe Squatt and Baboo had us scrambled like that."

"Same here," Misty added. She was arching her arms back in the Spartan Warrior yoga position. "But at least we got rid of that bug, and nobody got really hurt this time."

"Yeah," Ash replied, pushing Misty's arm further back, causing her to raise an eyebrow and both of them to laugh. "Even Rosie. But a dislocated shoulder in a big alien attack is lucky, I guess."

"But what's also lucky," Hayashi said as Brock and Tracey came over next, leaving a group of kids who were throwing a football around. "is that we got Mastodon to smash Monarch. Good plan, man."

"Yup," Brock muttered. He had his face in a book, and Tracey started to chuckle.

"Got a movie hidden behind that book, Brock?" Misty teased.

"Nope, he's studying," Tracey said, putting a hand on Brock's shoulder. "I think he's had enough monster madness for one day, like all of us."

Brock looked up from his schoolbook and answered, "Huh? Yeah, until Friday. They've got _Ant Volcano 7_ on TV then, and I haven't seen that one in years."

His friends smiled, and Brock scratched his bushy hair. "What? Movie knowledge saved the day. And it's not like I'm obsessed. They do thirty-minute PSA shows about that, and that ain't me."

"Hey, could be worse," Lia noted. "You could try to shoehorn it in a thirty-minute children's program with monsters and fighting and robot powers. You know, make it forgettable in all the flash."

"That doesn't work," Ash said, tilting his head.

"All depends on how you get the message across," Brock interjected. "Fun is fine, but you have to keep your head in the game." He then whirled around as someone shouted, "Heads up!" Brock opened his hands to catch the football, but it was thrown far right to another boy.

"Oh…" Brock uttered. "Guess I'd catch that if this was TV." And then he and the others broke out into some much-needed laughter.

 **NEXT TIME ON POWER RANGERS**

As the nights fade and the sun rises, several people in Feron Grove are falling ill, drained of all of their energy, pale and on the verge of peril. Rest assured, Rita Repulsa and her newest beastly soldier have a stake in the uncertain chaos, trouble that the Power Rangers cannot pinpoint. Can our heroes find the source of the crisis when even those they care for rise against them? Find out next time on the _Mighty Morphin Power Rangers!_

 **AUTHOR NOTE:**

For those of you that may be put off by this story, yes, this one is supposed to be full of cheese and puns, but not too much. Things got real dark in the _Evil Green Chronicles,_ and I thought it'd be fun to go back to some of the MMPR magic and corniness that we know and love :).


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